Nightlife Tourism: A Blessing or a Curse for Host Communities? “A Case Study on Gemmayzeh, Lebanon”
Tourisme de vie nocturne, une bénédiction ou une malédiction pour les communautés locales ? « Une étude de cas sur Gemmayzeh, Liban »
Résumé
Gemmayzeh is located in Beirut Central District, known to be one
of the most famous night attractions in the Lebanese capital. It is
also a special attraction for domestic visitors and tourists. However,
despite its competitive nightlife advantages in the Lebanese tourism
industry, its local residents are not convinced with the way tourism
is being developed in this area. The lack of cooperation among the
different potential tourism stakeholders and the absence of effective
regulations and policies have affected the traditions and heritage of
the local residents especially that this specific region is one of the
oldest in Beirut with many historical and cultural buildings. All these
vibes have created negative impacts on the community’s well-being.
The absence of tourism planning is affecting most of the Lebanese
tourism attractions and it is getting worse with time especially in the
case of Gemmayzeh whose residents have been involved in direct
conflicts with visitors and are trying to avoid the negative impacts
on their children at times. Therefore, this study aims to review the
impacts of tourism development on Gemmayzeh’s local residents,
to assess and analyze the type of involvement of local communities
in tourism planning and development and to explore the attitudes
and perceptions of local residents towards tourism development
and its impacts on the community. Out of 1,400 permanent local
residents in Gemmayzeh, 50 respondents (representing 5% of the
target population) were selected and surveyed during January,
2014. Results have revealed that the lack of involvement of local
residents in tourism planning and development has negatively
affected their perception towards tourism development. Although
this issue is affecting the local community, results revealed that the
majority of respondents, mainly young ones, have no problem with
nightlife as a type of tourism but with the way it has been developed
for years. Furthermore, respondents suggested the development of
other forms of tourism such as cultural tourism which can have a
better impact on all stakeholders.
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